Farm Days
by Lily Hanson
Summary: Follows A Night At The Summer Festival - Ji's got a girlfriend. Jayden isn't happy about that, but the rest of the team is curious. They've got a bit of time left on the farm while the Shiba House is being rebuilt, and they plan on making the most of it.
1. Ji's Night Out

Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers: (Super) Samurai. This is purely fan-made.

Jayden couldn't sleep knowing Ji wasn't home. He blamed his worries on the fact that they had been through quite a bit. Though they hid it well, so as not to freak out the town, they still carried the scars from their doubles, and from Nighlok Kevin.

Truth be told, bubbling deep down inside him, he didn't like the thought of Ji seeing another girl. Whether it was a one night stand, or a long-time relationship, it was inappropriate. Ji was a Samurai mentor. His one and only focus needed to be caring for the Samurai. Jayden couldn't imagine someone on the team getting hurt, and Ji not being around to care for them because he was on a date with the mystery girl. The team could die because he couldn't keep it in his pants. Jayden knew it was a bit of an exaggeration, but he felt that wasn't far from the reality.

He checked the clock in the living room and saw it was three in the morning. With a sigh, he shook his head and decided enough was enough. He headed to bed, but he didn't sleep.

-Samurai-

When morning came, Jayden looked and felt like a zombie. An angry zombie. He made Terran cry just by looking at the little boy, and made Emily switch to the other side of the breakfast table.

"What?" he asked her when she got up to move. She shook her head and shrugged.

"I can see the TV better from here," Emily gestured to the TV, where the morning cartoons were playing for Terran, but he was too busy screaming from the sight of his seemingly undead uncle.

"Jay, go back to bed," Serena told him when she saw he looked dead tired… mostly dead.

"No," Jayden refused to take orders, "Time for fun is over. Everyone outside in five minutes. We need to get back to our routine."

"Uh, Jay, if you haven't noticed, there's a farm outside that needs…"

"Everyone. Outside. Training. Five," Jayden snatched a piece of toast from Emily's plate and made his way outside to get started on his lesson.

"He didn't get much sleep last night," Antonio explained, hoping he could earn his boyfriend a little sympathy, seeing as Jayden was failing to do so for himself. "I heard him up and about until the early hours of the morning last night. Probably waiting for Ji."

"Who still isn't home," Emily whispered and then pointed across the table, where her big bear was sitting on one of the chairs, "but Big Bear can oversee training today."

"Your challenge will be carrying Big Bear," Serena's laugh was cut short as the doorknob rattled and the door opened slowly. All eyes watched as Ji tried to sneak home. Everyone crossed their arms over their chest and had a look of disappointment. When Ji saw he was caught, he tried to search his brain for an answer.

"Traffic?"

"Sit down," Serena gestured to the chair at the table. Ji sighed and took a seat. Emily glared at him and shook her head.

"Where were you, mister?" she asked.

"I met up with an old friend last night…"

"Was she pretty?"

Ji's jaw dropped: busted, "How did you know?"

"Nothing happens in this town that we don't know about," Emily smirked and looked over to Serena for confirmation. The older Earth Samurai nodded her head. Emily turned her attention back to Ji, "Now, I have no problem with you having a fun time and catching up with old _friends_, however, in this house, if you are not going to be home on time, you _must_ call."

"She's heard mom and dad give me this speech several times," Serena whispered to Mia and the boys, who were trying to hold back a laugh as their youngest gave their mentor the talk about being responsible. "I'd say she's got it down pat."

"Emily…" Ji started but Emily held up a hand and shook her head, silencing him.

"I know you're getting older, and I can understand you want your freedom and your independence, but we are a family. The rules aren't just in place to keep us safe. We have rules so we know to be respectful of others. This isn't your world, Ji. You're a Samurai mentor. You have little eyes watching you. You need to constantly remind yourself to set a good example. Am I understood?"

"Yes," Ji lowered his head and decided to just go with whatever was going on now.

Emily nodded her head and pointed to the door, "Good. Now, we have a list full of chores that need to be done before sundown. I don't want to hear any complaints that you're tired or that you had a long night. Self-inflicted pain gets no sympathy from me or from the rest of the team. Next time you meet up with this _friend_ of yours, maybe you won't forget to bring a watch. Chickens are waiting, mister."

Ji breathed a heavy sigh, got up from the table and grabbed a steel bucket before heading out the door to get started on his list of chores for the day. Emily got up from the table and took her plate to the sink.

"That takes care of that for now," she looked over her shoulder at the other Samurai, "Tonight, I think someone needs to give him _the talk_. If he's going to be spending the night with pretty girls, we'll need to make sure he knows exactly what he's setting himself up for. The last thing we need is another Serena incident."

"You labelled it the _Serena Incident_?" Serena crossed her arms and did not look happy, "Seriously?"

"I could have said the last thing we need is another Terran," Emily shrugged, "but he's so cute, I wouldn't mind if he multiplied."

"I would," Serena shook her head, "I'm glad there's just one of him. Two kids, no drugs, freezing cold snow… no, thank you."

"You know, I'd like to meet the girl who kept Ji out all night," James mused, "I mean, the man walks around in a kimono. He's pretty dedicated to this Samurai thing. The girl's got to be pretty amazing to distract him for a full night."

"Hmm," Mike nodded and scratched his chin, "It would be interesting. I never imagined Ji ever getting a girl."

The door swung open and slammed against the wall, taking the Rangers' attention away from Ji and over to Jayden, who seemed furious no one was outside training with him.

"Five minutes were up a long time ago," Jayden growled, "For that, all of you are doing laps around the farm until you collapse."

"But first, we appease the walking dead," Kevin groaned, "C'mon, team, we've got our work cut out for us today."


	2. Uncovering Truths

For once, Mia was happy her little brother loved to pretend to be a master spy, and chuckled as he, Antonio, and James prepared for their next mission: locating Ji's new girlfriend.

They didn't have much to go on. They had only seen the back of her head, from a distance, in the dark, but they had been assured that there were no secrets in town. If something went down, everyone knew about it. It was only a matter of time before they found the girl.

"Girls talk," Mia informed the Samurai spies, "Mystery woman is going to share her night with her friends. From there, it's going to turn into rumours. Someone's going to hear something and spread it around. People are going to overhear something else and spread that. It's up to the three of you to put the pieces together, in the right order."

"And then, when you've got her, you invite her over," Serena nodded, "If our Ji found himself a lady friend, we need to make sure she can handle all this craziness."

"We're not crazy," Antonio shook his head.

"You and Mike combined are probably the craziest," Serena chuckled and then ripped the ski mask from Antonio's head, "Seriously, take that off. If someone sees you wearing that they'll call the sheriff."

"But I'm undercover," Antonio whined. He tried to take the mask back but Serena tossed it over her shoulder and out of his reach.

"You freak me out with it. I'm not bailing you out of jail if you get arrested for being creepy, got it?"

"Fine," Antonio sulked and started for the door. Mike and James followed him, "Let's go find this mystery lady."

Serena and Mia looked to each other with a shake of their heads, "Boys."

Emily was looking out the window. It had been an hour since their training had ended, and because Ji was taking care of the farm work for the day (Emily insisted it was his punishment for not calling to say he wouldn't be home), the Samurai had the rest of the day off. While they were taking it to go and find Ji's lady, Jayden seemed to spend it immersing himself in training. Kevin, loyal as ever, joined in, hoping he could prevent the red Ranger from over-exerting himself, or getting hurt.

"Jayden's really not in a good mood today," Emily said as she watched him hit the ground again, "This isn't like him."

"He's pissed about something," Mia nodded, "And he's not focused. That means there is something bothering him."

"Do you think it's got anything to do with mystery lady?" Emily asked, "He didn't seem to like the idea of Mentor spending time with the girl when we saw them, and that was before she kept him out all night."

"He's twenty-three," Serena sighed, "He's not about to throw a fit because daddy's spending time with someone else."

"Is he?" Mia looked to the eldest Samurai, "I'm still not exactly thrilled my father's getting married, and my parents split years ago."

"Yeah, but that's different," Emily said, "Your dad announced he had a new girlfriend in a letter, and you learned about your soon-to-be step-mom from your half-brother, who you didn't even know existed until right before that. I'd be pretty pissed off too."

"Well, what's your excuse for giving James a hard time?" Mia asked, "Face it, the man was husband material right from the start. Perfect for Serena."

Emily pouted, "That's different too. Serena's a poor judge of character."

"Am not!"

"Dekker?"

"Doesn't count," Serena shook her head. She looked out the window as well, "but I guess it wouldn't hurt to talk to him. Our families are the most screwed up. It might help him to know… something."

"That talk will go great," Emily rolled her eyes, "Hey, Jayden, we're not exactly sure what's bothering you, but we think it's got something to do with the girl we've never met who is making out with the man who raised you. We're not sure what's going on there, nor can we speak for Mentor, but we do promise everything will work out."

Emily stuck her tongue out at her sister, "That's got about as much chance of calming him down as our horse Pegasus actually turning into a Pegasus. If you want to try that, be my guest. I'll watch you get your butt kicked from the safety of the house. Just warn me beforehand. I want popcorn."

"Alright, so we'll need more information," Serena sighed, "But we can't let him stew over this."

"I know something that always works," Mia said as she got up and headed outside. Serena and Emily crowded around the window and watched as she approached Kevin and Jayden.

Emily sighed. Serena looked to her sister, "What?"

"I'm worried."

"Mia's tough. She'll be fine."

"I know that," Emily nodded, "I'm just worried if I leave to make popcorn, I'll miss the smack down."

-Samurai-

Jayden rubbed his shoulder as he got back up. He was tired both from the lack of sleep and his morning of training, but he had nothing better to do. Holding his training sword up, he looked at Kevin, asking the blue Ranger to come at him again. Kevin shook his head. Jayden could see he thought he had had enough. He threw down his sword and shoved the blue Ranger.

"I am leader. If you want to…"

"Jay, maybe it's time you get some sleep," Mia called calmly as she approached the boys. When Jayden turned to her she held her arms up, indicating she didn't want to join the lesson. "You're exhausted. You're not thinking straight."

"Ji was…"

"He's home now," Mia gestured out to the barn, where Ji was grooming one of the horses, "He's home safe and sound, and he didn't bring the mystery girl home with him. Think you can sleep now."

"I don't care about mystery girl."

"Okay," Mia nodded and decided it was best for now to agree with him. She didn't believe him, but she agreed with him, "I'll wake you up in a couple of hours, how about that?"

"I don't need sleep."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"You know, when I first saw my dad dating a girl other than my mom, I flipped out too. Sobo nearly called the hospital to get me checked out."

"Ji isn't dating…"

"I'm not saying he is. I'm just telling you a story I think you might relate to. I know things with your family is a little… different from normal, and you have a right to be angry, or upset, or however you feel. It's okay."

"You have no idea…"

"I know," Mia nodded, "I also know we have no idea what Ji was doing either. Don't you think, before you wear yourself out, you should figure out what exactly is going on? Who that girl was? Why we saw her kiss Mentor?"

"I think it's pretty obvious…"

"Still, if you care at all about Mentor, you'll wait to hear his side of the story before you flip your lid. And if things don't go your way, I'm more than happy to let you vent. You're allowed to feel angry, or confused, or worried, or even happy. You might feel happy."

"He's a Samurai mentor. He shouldn't…"

"Why don't we talk about this after you lie down for a bit?" Mia offered and carefully approached Jayden and took his hand, "I promise I'll wake you up in a couple of hours and then we'll sit down and talk with Mentor. I'll make sure you speak, as long as you promise to let him speak."

"Fine," Jayden took a deep breath and realized he was way too tired to argue with anyone at this point. He let Mia guide him back into the house. Kevin followed, keeping close behind. After Mia put Jayden to bed, and set his alarm to wake him up in a couple hours, she returned back downstairs to Kevin, Serena, and Emily.

"That was lame," Emily muttered.

"She means, that was good," Kevin smiled, "I thought I was going to have to knock him out before he decided it was time to rest."

"You would be surprised what a calming voice can accomplish," Mia grinned as Kevin pulled her into his arms. She looked up at him, "I think it helped that you really tired him out though. He kinda looked defeated."

"Hopefully he'll be a bit more level-headed in a few hours," Serena said.

Mia nodded, "Hopefully. But first, we'll need to know what exactly is going on between Ji and mystery girl," Mia pulled a walkie-talkie from her pocket, "Alright, what's the status?"

"There are definitely rumours going around about last night," James voice came through the speaker, "Some good, like Emily's hot new boyfriend, and Serena being alive and well… as well as a lot of guys completely oblivious that she's engaged. They're making bets on who can get her in bed first. It's completely…"

"Focus, Romeo," Serena took the walkie-talkie from James, "They're all going to lose their bets anyways, so that's not a problem. What are the other rumours?"

"Tourists breaking into a shop and getting it on."

Mia took the walkie-talkie back, "I doubt that's him. Don't bother with that one.

She looked up at Kevin worriedly. Serena and Emily looked between the two of them.

"What did you two get up to last night?" Serena asked and then quickly shook her head, "Never mind. James, any other rumours?"

"One," James nodded, "Know a girl named Kate?"

"Sheriff's sister," Serena answered, "Why?"

"Apparently, she was the only person who didn't show up to the festival last night. According to the rumours around the bar, that's not like her."

"It's not," Serena said, "She attends every year to help the sheriff keep the peace. You don't want to know what can happen if you let a couple dozen men drink to their hearts content, unsupervised."

"Or a minor and her friends," Emily giggled. Serena covered her mouth.

"Emily and I will stop by Kate's house later. She was good friends with mom. She'll believe us if we say we're just stopping by to say hi," Serena said, "You boys can come back now."

"But we're in the middle of a game," Antonio whined, "Early morning drunk men are funny, and they have a lot of secrets. Serena, I had no idea you went through a…"

"COME HOME!" Serena cried and turned off the walkie-talkie.

"You went through a…?" Mia teased, "Boy, your teenage years were cut short, but you sure did take advantage of the little time you had."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Serena shook her head and kept her hand on Emily's mouth, pulling her away, "C'mon, squirt, why don't we go help Ji finish up the chores?"

Emily tried to peel her sister's hand away, "It was a…"

"Silence is golden," Serena said, clasping her hand back over Emily's mouth. Then she leaned forward and whispered, "duct tape is silver."


	3. Created Family

Jayden woke up to the sound of his alarm clock blaring. He rolled over, smashed the snooze button, and then rolled back onto his side, desperate for more sleep.

"It'll just go off in nine minutes," Mia's voice startled him and he jumped up. Rubbing his eyes, he saw her sitting next to him on the bed, reading a book.

"Have you been there the entire time?"

"Five minutes," Mia shrugged, "Want to talk?"

Jayden shook his head. He was feeling a bit better now that he had gotten some sleep, but he still wasn't happy. Remembering the events of the night before, he pulled the blankets over his head and tried to tune out the world. Mia pulled back.

"If it helps, we're on a mission to figure out who this lady is," she looked at Jayden, "We've got a name. Turns out, there was one person who wasn't at the festival last night, which is not like her at all."

"What's the whore's name?"

"Watch it," Mia growled, "Her name is Kate, and even if she and Ji are dating, or have been dating, she is not a whore. Nor is she your future step-mother."

"I don't need a step-mother," realizing he wasn't getting anymore sleep, he threw off the blankets and swung his feet over the side of the bed. He rubbed his eyes again. When he opened them, he saw Emily sitting across from him, "What the hell?"

"Serena and I are going to Kate's. She's a family friend," Emily explained, "Chores are done and we don't plan on leaving for another hour, so I'm killing time."

"By watching me sleep?"

"You drool," Emily smirked.

Jayden rolled his eyes and pushed himself up to his feet. He walked to the door and tried to open it, but he realized it was locked. He rattled the knob but it wouldn't open.

"You need a key," Emily whispered as she pulled a necklace, with the key attached, out from under her shirt, "I'm surprised dad hasn't taken that lock down. Do you know how many times I've locked myself in here?"

"Give me the key," Jayden held out his hand but he knew Emily wouldn't give it up that easily. She tucked the key back in her shirt and patted her chest.

"Safe and sound. Now we talk."

"I won't be such an ass…"

"About more than that," Mia tapped the bed, inviting Jayden to sit again, "Em and I both know what you're going through. We've both seen parents move on."

"Sisters," Emily shrugged, "but there's not a big difference."

"If Mentor is dating again, you're going to have to live with it," Mia looked Jayden in the eye, "That man has given up his entire life for you, Jayden. He's raised you since you were a boy. I'm sure he would have volunteered for the job, but it's not like he was really given a choice. You were kind of thrust upon him."

"So what?"

"You're twenty-three," Mia said, "You have your own life. You're dating Antonio. You're moving away from Mentor. Why isn't he allowed to move away from you…?"

"Because he's the mentor. He's supposed to be looking out for us. For me…"

"We're big kids. We can take care of ourselves," Emily shrugged and looked to Mia, "I mean, sometimes we need Mentor to whip us into shape, but that's just sometimes."

"Jayden, we don't even know what's going on yet," Mia put her hand on Jayden's shoulder and offered him a smile, "Can you at least give this a chance. I'm not saying you have to like Kate, but you can't keep Mentor from being happy."

Jayden held his head in his hands. They were making a lot of sense, but it was still the thought that weirded him out. He had never imagined Ji moving on, especially with someone else. Though he knew nothing about what had happened the night before, it was a hard slap in the face. It was a huge possibility.

"Jayden," Emily sat down beside him and wrapped her arms around him, "everyone's going to move on eventually. I learned that the hard way when I found Mia and Kevin's perfect house list, remember? But that doesn't mean we're moving away. That doesn't mean you're losing us. Mentor especially. I don't think a girl, or guy, will ever come between you."

Emily looked over at Mia with a smile, "The thing about created families is you're not forced to love them, or even like them. You do so, because you've chosen so. Every single day of his life, Mentor's woken up, and he's made the decision to care for you and love you like you were his son._ Like_ his son. He never had to do that."

"He's the Samurai Mentor. It's his job…"

"To turn you into a Samurai," Mia smiled, "He never had to turn you into a man. That's something no one, not Kate, not us, not Antonio can take away."

"Created families, huh?"

"Sometimes, water can be better than blood," Emily nodded her head. Mia looked around Jayden, to Emily, with a smile.

"Mind repeating that in front of Serena. She and I are at war and that's ammunition for me."

"No way am I getting involved in that," Emily shook her head, "You two can work out your own issues."

"You're kind of in the middle of it by default," Mia chuckled, "But you can end it. All you have to do is go out there and tell her I'm number one."

"Neither of you are number one," Emily grinned and hugged Jayden, "As long as you two are going to fight over it, I'm not picking either of you as favourite sisters. Jayden, do you want to be my favourite sister?"

"Your…" Jayden gave her a funny look, "Em, I understand my sexuality is a little confusing, but…"

"Will you be my favourite or not?" Emily pouted, "if you say no, I'm going downstairs and asking Antonio, and you'll be bumped down to the bottom. You won't like the bottom."

"Alright, alright, I'll be favourite sister," Jayden sighed, "but it's only a temporary gig, right? And I won't have to dress up?"

"Of course not," Emily smirked, "You would look ridiculous in a dress."

"She's right," Mia chuckled. She put her hand on Jayden's back, "Are you feeling a bit better about this whole thing, now?"

"I still don't like it," Jayden shook his head, "but… I guess we don't know anything for sure, yet. But what if Ji does…"

"We'll cross that bridge when we get there," Mia smiled and pulled Jayden in for a tight hug, "Just no more intense workouts. My legs are killing me."

"And don't worry about Ji," it was Emily's turn to hug Jayden, "I gave him a lecture when he got home. And later today, I'll make sure he gets _the_ _talk_. Ji won't be doing any funny business. And anyways, I know Kate. She's really nice. You might actually like her…"

"Whoa, one step at a time," Jayden held up his hands, "Can I get used to this whole Ji _might_ be dating thing first? No Kate, and absolutely no teasing me about step-moms and Ji… doing…. Whatever it is guys his age do."

"Deal," Mia nodded, giving her word to Jayden, which was good for the whole team. Jayden trusted she could get them to keep the jokes to themselves. He turned to Emily and saw a smirk on her face.

"Emily, do you want to do laps?"

Emily shook her head, "Oh, no, I agree, no jokes. I'm just trying to picture you in a dress."

"You said there was no dressing up."

Emily stuck out her lower lip, "But my favourite sister always does whatever she can to make me happy. Trying on a dress isn't even half as humiliating as…"

Mia jumped over Jayden, grabbed Emily, covered her mouth with her hand and started to drag her towards the door.

"Little sisters," Mia chuckled and fumbled to get the key from around Emily's neck without giving her the opportunity to speak, "They have wild imaginations."

She got the key, and Emily got no chance to speak and was dragged out of the room and down the hall, past Mike and Kevin.

Mike and Kevin walked to Jayden's room and looked inside, seeing the red Ranger sitting on the bed and looking just as confused as they were.

"What was that about?" they asked. Jayden shrugged his shoulders.

"No idea."

Kevin scratched the back of his neck, "Well, uh, feeling better?"

"A bit," Jayden nodded, "but would you guys mind giving me a little more time alone? This isn't something that'll go down easy."

The boys gave him a quick nod and were about to close the door when Jayden's Samuraizer beeped. Waiting to see if it was anything important, they hung by the door. Jayden looked at the screen, seeing it was just a message.

"It's one of Ji's friends," Jayden said, "The Shiba House is coming along quickly and we should be able to move back in before the end of the week."

"The… the end of the week?" Mike didn't seem happy about the news, but Jayden was grinning from ear to ear. As much as he enjoyed spending time on the farm, there was no place like home.

Home; which was miles away from this town, and from _Kate. _Maybe she wouldn't be much of a problem after all.


	4. It's Time For The Talk

After getting the message that the Shiba House was almost ready for the Samurai to move back in, Mike locked himself away in his room, skipping dinner. Though he wanted to go back home and be protected by the Gap Sensor, the shield, and live in… well, his home, he loved being up on the farm. This was the house Emily grew up in. She loved this place, more than anyone really knew, and as an extension of that, Mike loved it. He would gladly move out here to be with her. He would gladly learn how to take care of this farm, or even start his own, so she could have the quiet country life she always dreamed of having.

But most importantly, this was the location for their wedding. It hadn't even been an issue. The moment they agreed to get married and spend the rest of their lives together, Mike wanted her to have everything she wanted. Weddings weren't a big deal to him. He was the complete opposite of Mia. Hell, until he met Emily, he had never even thought of marriage.

Though he was young, and the others all advised him to have a long engagement, he knew what he wanted. When he had died, his sole regret was that he hadn't made Emily his wife. It seemed like such a tiny detail, especially considering he had died in her arms, with all her love flooding his heart, but it was a small detail that meant so much to Mike, and he was sure it meant a lot to Emily too. He didn't know when he would see this farm again. In fact, he was supposed to be dead now. His life was a gift. This second chance was a gift, and Scruffy had made it clear, he needed to make the most of it before it was taken from him again. That could be decades from now, just like it could be seconds. He didn't know what was waiting for him.

While Emily and Serena were out finding who they suspected was Ji's new girlfriend, the others expected Mike to be at dinner. Knowing even Jayden had gone down to eat, Mike knew someone would come up to see what was wrong.

"Knock, knock," he heard and looked to the door to see Mia, carrying his plate, "Everything okay?"

Mike looked down at his Samuraizer and nodded his head, "Yeah, just thinking."

"Jayden told us the news," Mia sat down beside him, "We'll be going home soon."

"Yeah, I was there when he got the message."

"You like this place, don't you?"

"It's great, but I am excited to get home. It's just…"

"Uh-oh," Mia pulled away from Mike so she could have a good look at him, "I think I have a pretty good idea what you're thinking."

"What? Really?"

"I can smell wedding bells from miles away," Mia nodded her head, "I figured, once you came back, it was only a matter of time before you tried to play that card."

"This isn't a game for me, Mia. I'm not playing any cards. I'm completely serious. Emily wants to get married here on the farm. Once we leave, who knows how long it'll be until we come back."

"As long as it takes to defeat Xandred," Mia assured him and took his hand, "I know it's hard, Mike. Trust me. Some days I just want to run away and elope with Kevin. But we have a duty…"

"Who knows if we'll come back," Mike looked right at Mia as he said this, "I'm on my second life now. I should be dead. If that happens, I don't want to have any regrets again."

"You had regrets?"

"Please, Mia," he looked like a kicked puppy as he pleaded with her, "It doesn't have to be legal. Just as long as it's real for Emily and me…"

"Okay, okay," Mia smiled and kissed Mike's forehead, "If it means that much to you, I'll get it done."

"You… you will?"

Mia nodded, "You just focus on getting the tux, and figure out whether this is a surprise for Emy or not… though I warn you, finding the perfect dress for a regular, planned wedding is hard enough."

"Once we get the plans ready, I'll tell her," Mike bounced off the bed in excitement, spilling his dinner, "Mia, I love you!"

"Whoa, save the love yous for the wedding," Mia laughed, picking the spilled peas from the bed, "Preferably, say the name of your soon to be wife."

"I will," Mike grinned excitedly as he rushed off. He had no idea where he was going exactly, or what he was supposed to do, but he was so full of energy he needed to run it out somehow.

-Samurai-

Emily walked up the steps to Kate's house with Serena right behind her. It was nerve-wracking meeting up with an old family friend after a couple of years of being M.I.A, but Emily distracted herself by thinking of the last time she and Serena walked these steps.

"Remember…"

"Yes, Emily," Serena groaned. It seemed downtime in her hometown meant all the Rangers could focus on the little secrets of Serena's life before her illness. Secrets she had hoped no one outside the town would know about. It was the one great thing about the Shiba House: it gave her a chance for a fresh start. She had never been a troubled teenager, but she had been… well, a teenager.

"Mom was pretty much carrying you out because you were too…"

"I know, Emily," Serena knocked loudly on the door, "I hate little sisters."

"Not my fault you shared all your secrets with me," Emily was grinning from ear to ear, "You and Mia both do it."

"Any dirt on Mia?"

Emily opened her mouth to answer, but the door opened as well, cutting her off before she could say anything. Serena and Emily both looked to see Kate standing in her doorway, her jaw on the ground. The sisters gave each other a little smirk. Either this was going to be a pleasant reunion, or it was going to be a fun bust.

"Emily? Serena? What in the world…?" Kate pulled both girls into her arms and hugged them tight. She hadn't seen either girl in a long time; Serena since before her illness, and Emily, it had been two, almost three years.

"We're back in town," Serena smiled. Kate gave her a shocked expression.

"Back in town? Last I heard, Serena, you were on your death bed."

"Yeah, it shocked the entire town last night," Serena nodded her head, "Apparently everyone's talking about it today."

"No doubt," Kate nodded as she gestured for the girls to come in, "You're healed? Is it…?"

"A full recovery," Serena smiled, "Doctor's still can't explain it, but I won't question it," Serena wrapped her arms around Emily, "It gives me more time with my family."

"We wanted to say hi to you last night at the festival," Emily looked to Kate with a smile, "but it turns out, you didn't show up."

Kate nodded her head and started for the kitchen. Serena and Emily followed.

"I had other plans."

"Were they more important than the first night of the summer festival? Are you going to skip out on tonight, as well?"

"If you two are here, you obviously don't plan on attending tonight either," Kate smirked and pulled out a platter of cookies. Emily was quickly distracted. Serena wasn't.

"We have an excuse. We've been in Panorama city for a while and we brought friends back with us to show them the farm. We've got a night planned with them. What's your excuse?"

Kate rested her elbows on the counter and looked right at Serena. She had known the younger woman since Ellie had been pregnant with her. She had kept her eyes on her family for a long, long time. In some ways, Serena and Emily were like the daughters she never had – thought they had no idea she felt this way about them. But she had gotten them and their family out of so much trouble, especially with her brother, the sheriff.

"What are you implying, miss?"

Serena cocked an eyebrow, "Well, I brought my friends to the carnival, and at the end of the night we realized there was one of us missing."

"That's not good," Kate nodded.

"We went looking for him. Turns out, you and he were the only two people in the area who weren't at the festival."

"Like I said," Kate shook her head, "I had other plans."

"Is Uncle Ji a good kisser?" Emily asked through a mouthful of her cookie. Kate gave her the same look Ji had given that morning when Emily caught him. A smirk appeared on the yellow Ranger's face. She had just busted the second half of the crime.

"How did you girls know?"

"He's our uncle," Serena said. "We stay with him and his son. He's a good friend of mom's…"

"A lot like you," Emily looked accusingly to Kate, "How do _you_ know him?"

"Better question," Serena added, "Why were you kissing him?"

Kate took a deep breath, "Ji and I go way back. Back long before either of you were born."

"You've known him for that long?"

Kate gestured to the living room, "C'mon, girls. I think it's time we talk."

"Over there?" Emily asked and looked down at the tray of cookies, "But we're not allowed to eat over there…"

"You're what, seventeen now?"

"Eighteen."

"I trust you not to make a mess," Kate waved them over.

Serena and Emily looked to each other, somewhat nervous. They had just come here so they could figure out if Kate with their mystery girl. Apparently, they were getting a lot more than they bargained for.

Emily offered a cookie to Serena, "You might need this."


	5. Secret Friendships

Jayden was already packing his bags. He couldn't wait to go back home, back where everything was normal. He wanted to sleep in his own bed, in his own room, in his own house. He wanted a dojo, not a barn, and he wanted a house full of bonsai, not farm animals.

And most importantly, he wanted Kate out of the way. Ji could have his summer romance, but once he was home, and miles away from this small town, he would have to focus on his Samurai work. Ji just didn't have time for a girlfriend.

Just as Jayden got his bag zipped up, Antonio walked in, ready for bed. It wasn't too late, but because they had to get up early every morning to take care of the farm, it was best to go to bed early. Antonio saw Jayden with his bags packed and chuckled.

"Homesick?"

"I'm not a country boy," Jayden nodded his head, "The fast the Shiba House is up and running, the better, for all of us."

"I kind of like this quiet life," Antonio walked to the bed and sat down. Jayden looked to him strangely.

"Quiet?"

"When we're not fighting Nighlok, yeah. It's peaceful out here. And look at the view from the bedroom window.

"Alright, fine, the scenery is nice," Jayden rolled his eyes and dropped his bag by the door, "But…"

"And the stars. I thought there were a lot of stars at the Shiba House, but I guess, out here, there's even less light and smog. The sky is covered in little bright lights."

"Well, yeah, but…"

"I mean, the Shiba House is great, don't get me wrong, but I'll really miss this place. After this whole Ranger thing is done, I might be coming up here for vacation."

"Well, this place stinks, literally. There's always work that needs to be done, and there is no taking a day off from it. There's no real dojo to train in. Everybody knows your business. The Shiba House is better…"

"Boy, you've really been in a mood since the Ji's mystery girlfriend thing," Antonio chuckled. "Relax, Jay, I doubt you have anything to worry about. I mean, if this is a long time thing, we had no idea. I don't see why he would change just because we know now. And if it is a new thing… long distance relationships are really, really hard, and I don't think Ji has the time to put the effort into it."

"Exactly," Jayden smirked and crawled into bed with Antonio. He wrapped his arms around his boyfriend. "Hopefully the house is finished soon. I can't wait to get out of here."

-Samurai-

Serena and Emily sat in silence as Kate watched them, waiting for a response. They had just learned that she was one of several contacts Ji had in this town, and her job was to make sure the earth clan, their family, was kept safe and sound.

The job consisted basically of ensuring that the earth clan always had a Samurai ready to send to the war so the team would always have their yellow. Every family had someone looking out for them, someone they knew very well. It was up to that person to make sure nothing happened to the family, and if something did, they needed to step up and help in any way they could so that there always would be a Ranger ready to fight the Nighlok.

But that wasn't the shocking part. That made sense. The more Serena and Emily thought about it, the more they realized they should have been able to figure that out. Kate had covered for them and their family so many times, protecting the Samurai secret without even knowing it… though it seemed she knew exactly what she was doing.

The shocking part came next. Kate wasn't a contact that would keep in touch with Ji. In fact, complete silence was usually best. However, after hearing no news on Emily for almost two years, and being completely unsure whether Serena was sick, healthy, alive, or dead, Kate could resist temptation and had called Ji to ask after them. Hearing they were okay, Kate was relieved. She had watched the girls grow up, and if anything had happened to their mother, or both their parents, it would be her responsibility to raise them up as Samurai, like Ji did for Jayden after his father passed. She couldn't help but think of the girls as the daughters she never had, and she had to ask after them.

From that point, Ji would call every night to share a story with Kate about what happened and how the girls managed to overcome it, but the conversation would always stray. Kate always had her two cents to put in, and Ji always had something to say about that as well. Eventually, they started to talk about themselves. Eventually, the calls were less and less about Serena and Emily, and more and more about Ji and Kate.

So, when Ji knew he was so close to Kate, and when he finally got a night off to relax, he called to meet up with her. In Kate's version of the story, there were sparks from the moment they met face to face.

"So…" Serena whispered after a long silence, "You and… Ji?"

"You know he's our mentor, right?" Emily asked. "I don't know what that has to do with anything, but…"

"I know," Kate nodded, "This situation is complicated right now. Eventually you'll be going home, and it'll be impossible for Ji to make the trip up here. As much as I love our phone calls, talking with him, face to face was just…"

"You really like him," Serena smirked, "This isn't just a one-time fluke."

"I don't know what you girls are talking about," Kate shook her head, "I'll admit, there was a little bit of alcohol involved last night. I'm sure, like me, Ji knows we have a job to do. Until the Nighlok are defeated, we can't get distracted."

"Please," Serena rolled her eyes, "We kind of ended that whole chastity thing."

"If you had been at the festival last night, instead of making out with mentor, you would have known that," Emily smirked and flicked her thumb over to Serena, "You'll never guess how much trouble Serena _still_ gets up…"

Serena shoved her sister into the back of the couch and pressed her hand tightly over her mouth. She was seriously starting to consider duct.

"Serena, I know about Terran, James, and even Dekker," Kate said, "You can let your sister go now."

"Thank you," Emily smiled as Serena moved her hand away, "Wow, I have a lot of blackmail."

"Shut up," Serena muttered and then looked over to Kate, "I've got that all figured out."

"I trust that you do," Kate nodded and got up to walk to the door, signalling it was time for the girls to leave, "And I also trust you will stay out of my business. I'm a big girl, I can handle my own relationships. Whether you girls like it or not, you have no say what Ji and I choose to do together."

"Ew," Emily frowned, "There's a thought I don't want."

"So you and Ji…"

"I don't know what's going to happen," Kate admitted, "but whatever does happen, it's a choice Ji and I are going to make together," she gave each girl a kiss on the forehead, "Now head on home. It's getting late."

Emily nodded and started making her way down the path, back to the road. Serena trailed behind slightly. She had known Kate her entire life, and when she spoke of Ji, as much as it freaked Serena out, she seemed to be very happy. Though her relationship with Dekker was something she wished had never happened, it did teach her one thing: it was hard being in a relationship with someone when the whole world was against it. Though Serena was sure that no matter what, Dekker would have turned back into the monster he was, a little part of her always wanted to believe that what they had could have worked out, if the Rangers, and if Dayu, especially, could have just moved on.

"We're probably headed home soon," Serena said, "but you're invited to lunch tomorrow."

"Serena…"

"I insist," Serena smiled, "You can meet the gang, spend a little time with Emily and me… and a little time with Ji…"

"Serena, what did I just…"

"You might regret it if you don't," Serena said. She gave Kate a kiss on the cheek and rushed out to walk back home with Emily.

Kate nodded her head and slowly closed the door. Lunch sounded nice.


	6. Never Letting Go

Knowing his farming days were limited, Jayden was happy to do his chores, and milked the cows like he had done so his entire life. And when the others asked him how he was feeling, knowing he was still struggling somewhat with the thought of Ji kissing a girl, he would tell them he was perfectly fine with it. He knew they thought he had just come to his senses, but the truth was, he knew whatever relationship Ji had with this woman was doomed to end soon, and life would be back to normal. He knew he was sulking like a child, but he didn't care. His whole family had left him except for Ji. He wouldn't let Ji leave him too.

It took him hours to milk all the cows and then the goats. Fortunately, he always managed to finish by lunch time, especially when he got an early start in the morning. He had no idea how Jack did all this work by himself, but figured the man was very experienced and he had to know exactly what he was doing. Jayden spent quite a bit of time arguing with the cows and goats. They didn't like him much.

When all the pails were filled, he left them by the barn door, where Serena would pick them up later. Jayden wasn't sure what she did with all the milk but didn't bother asking. He didn't care. Soon he would be home.

As he wiped his hands on his pants, proud of the morning he had, he started to head back to the house to check on the status of lunch and to get showered. As he made his way to the front of the house, though, he saw a car pulling into the driveway. This seemed a little odd. He ducked behind the house, seeking cover while keeping his eyes on the woman who stepped out of the car and made her way up to the front door. Jayden had a sick feeling in his stomach.

"Kate! You made it!" Serena cried happily when she answered the door. She threw her arms around the woman and then invited her inside.

Jayden felt the tears welling up in his eyes. Kate? Kate was the name of the woman they thought had kissed Ji. Why was Kate coming to the house? Had she been invited? Had Ji invited her?

Where would she be invited to next? Jayden growled. Certainly not the Shiba House. He forbade it. Unless they were part of the Samurai family, they were not allowed in the Shiba House. In _his_ house.

His house. He needed his house, with his rules. No more of this country stuff. No more vacation. The Samurai life was serious business. Any distractions could hurt the team. He stomped up the stairs, into the house and slammed the door as he walked in.

"Jayden!" Serena cried, likely to scold him for his entrance. He shot straight upstairs to his room, slammed the door again and grabbed his Samuraizer. The Shiba House would be done come morning.

-Samurai-

While everyone was finishing up their chores and heading inside for lunch, and a surprise meeting with Kate, Mia and Mike stayed back in the barn. Mike planned on having a little ceremony with Emily, and whether it was legal or not, he was going to make her his wife. He had no idea what the future had in store for him, if there even was much a future left, but he was determined to make sure that future had Emily.

Mia had a look around the barn. She was better with detail, especially when it came to weddings. While Mike saw an old barn, home to dozens of farm animals, Mia's eyes were slowly designing the perfect spot for Mike and Emily to get married, and in her pocket, she also had a little surprise for Mike.

"Using a bit of symbol power, this could be set up in no time," Mia smirked. "Emily loves this old country stuff, so we're not going to have to hide much of it. Just clean out some of the stalls…"

"We do that in the mornings anyways," Mike shrugged, "No extra work there."

Mia chuckled, "Well, if you use your symbol power to litter this place in flowers that should help with the smell."

"Check," Mike whipped out his Samuraizer. He couldn't use it yet, he didn't plan on having the ceremony today, but it felt good knowing it was all he needed.

"A few seats, an aisle, the tux, a dress, a best man, a maid of honour, someone to walk Emily down the aisle… Terran's got to be the ring bearer. We'll need a cake, because you can't have a wedding without cake… we should think about renting a limo… for your honeymoon…"

"Mia," Mike grabbed her shoulders, "It's just a small little, barely wedding. It'll only count in technicalities, right?"

"Uh, yeah," Mia smirked and put one hand in her pocket, touching the paper she was hiding from Mike, "Sorry… I get carried away."

"I know," Mike chuckled and flicked his thumb over his shoulder, "If you've got everything figured out, maybe we can still join the others for lunch. If I distract Emily for dessert, think you can let them know what we've got planned."

"If I can hold it in until dessert," Mia smirked. Mike gave her a gentle nudge and they started to walk to the house. They saw a car that didn't belong in the driveway and looked to each other curiously. It seemed they had a guest.

They opened the door and the smell of a warm lunch filled their nostrils. However, no one was in the kitchen. Seeing three plates left on the counter, they grabbed two of them and headed to the living room. They found everyone, minus Jayden, as well as a woman.

"Kate," Serena said and gestured to the woman, "This is Mike and Mia: Samurai green and pink."

"Samurai…"

"Relax," Emily giggled, "Kate knows. She's one of Mentor's _friends_."

"Are you the _friend_ we saw swapping spit with Mentor?" Mike asked and took a seat beside Emily on the couch. He set his plate down on his lap and started to shovel food in his mouth. The sooner he could get to dessert, the sooner he could talk to her about his plans.

Ji seemed to start chocking on his food. He knew the Samurai had found him out, but it was still an odd thing to hear.

Kate chuckled and gave Ji a little pat on the back as she looked to Mike, "I'm not going to say there's nothing going on between us, but…"

"There's nothing going on between us," Ji shook his head, "At least, nothing yet. Kate and I are merely friends. Friends who enjoy each other's company and had a little too much to drink last night."

"Keeping secrets, drinking, coming home late, not calling to let us know where you are," Emily shook her head in mock-disappointment, "You're turning into a real handful, Ji. You used to be such a responsible young man."

Ji stuck his tongue out at her, causing her to giggle. Kate saw this exchange between them and her smile grew. Serena noticed this, and her smile grew. There was definitely something going on. She turned her head towards the kitchen and the stairs. Jayden was still sulking upstairs. She knew he was smart, and had likely figured out the woman was Kate – Ji's _girlfriend._ Inviting her over to lunch without telling Jayden probably wasn't the best move, but it wasn't like she was trying to push Ji and Kate together. Kate was a family friend and now that the secret was out, it was only fair she got to meet the team. The fact that she would be spending some time with Ji was a bonus Serena hadn't overlooked.

Jayden was being childish. She knew this was hard for him. She was sure this was the first time Ji showed any interest in anyone other than Jayden and the Samurai, but Jayden was still taking things a little too far.

"Antonio," she looked to the gold Ranger, "I'm sure Jayden's plate is getting cold. Why don't you bring it up to him."

Antonio nodded and got up to see what his boyfriend was up to. Serena figured if anyone could get through to Jayden, it was Antonio.

Antonio was finished his lunch, so he put his dish in the sink and grabbed Jayden's plate. He headed upstairs, knocked on the bedroom door and then walked in. Jayden was sitting on their bed, reading a book Antonio knew he had read about a thousand times already.

"I don't hear wedding bells," Antonio said. "Hell, I barely even hear plans of a second date. Kate's a really nice person from what I've seen, and it seemed like she's an amazing ally. It couldn't hurt to…"

"We're leaving soon anyways," Jayden shook his head, "Kate will be obsolete in…"

"Whoa, she's not a robot," Antonio sat down beside Jayden, "C'mon, Jay, you're not six."

"How would you feel if your dad just decided to move on with a girl?"

"Happy for him," Antonio admitted honestly, "It would freak me out a bit, but he's my dad. He spent his whole life trying to make me happy. I'm old enough. I don't need him around all the time. He's allowed to do his own thing."

"Alright, bad example. Your dad isn't responsible for the Samurai team. Ji doesn't have the time to…"

"Jay, the one great thing about Mentor is that we can always count on him to get the job done. Sure, if he does start dating Kate, or anyone else, it'll take some time away from his work, and from you, but don't you think…"

"Ji's the only family I have…"

"My dad's the only family I have," Antonio said and then shook his head, "Actually, that's a lie. My dad, you, Mentor, the Samurai, you're all my family."

"Ji…"

"Deserves some happiness."

"And he can't get that at home? What are you saying, Kate's the happy fairy?"

"No," Antonio chuckled, "Though that would be wicked if there was a happy fairy."

He wrapped his arms around Jayden warmly, "I have no idea what's going on between Mentor and Kate. I can't promise it'll be smooth sailing, especially for you, but you're being a bit of a baby, Jay. Do you think Mentor was happy to watch you step away from him when you started to date Amanda? Or even me? You don't spend as much time with him as you used to, and you don't see him sulking because of it."

"That's different…"

"No it's not. You're his son, Jay, I know you are, but that doesn't change the fact that you're a grown man."

"Antonio…"

"He's happy for you. Why can't you be happy for him. No matter how this turns out."

"Dad already left me…"

"This isn't like that," Antonio kissed the side of Jayden's head, "This is nothing like that. Your father died, and he died a hero. I'm sure he didn't want to leave you. And Ji's not going to leave. It's going to take more than a pretty girl for him to leave you in the dust, I promise."

"And if he does?"

"He won't," Antonio assured him, "but if he does, you're not alone. You'll have me, I swear. I'm not letting you go."

"I still don't like her."

"Can we at least go downstairs? I'll introduce her as Serena and Emily's friend. No girlfriend, no relation to Ji, nothing."

Jayden took a deep breath and then nodded his head. It sounded fair.


	7. Wedding Bells

With Antonio by his side, Jayden joined the Samurai and Kate in the living room, making it just in time for dessert. He hesitated for a moment, but a nudge from Antonio reminded him it was polite to offer his hand. Holding it out to Kate, he forced a smile, "Jayden."

"Kate. It's nice to meet you," Kate had a genuine smile as she looked Jayden right in the eyes, "Ji talks about you all the time."

"He does?" Jayden's smile was a little less forced as he turned to Ji. The older man nodded his head.

Though he hadn't gone to Jayden at all since this girlfriend issue came up, he wasn't blind. Jayden had been in a mood since the others had found out, and he was sure this discovery was hard for Jayden. Since he was a little boy, Ji had devoted all his time and energy to him. While he wouldn't call Kate his girlfriend yet, the possibility was there. He did like having her around and she was certainly attractive. Though he was getting older, he knew the Samurai were too. Eventually they were all going to settle down and move away from him as well as their own families, and they were going to start a life on their own.

Before meeting Kate, he had been worried about the day they defeated Xandred. He had been worried about what it would be like when they moved out and he was left alone in a big, empty house. Kate was great company, and someone he could see spending the rest of his life with, if things worked out, of course.

He was glad to see Jayden starting to come around. He gave Jayden a little smile.

"Of course I talk about you all the time," he said, "What else do I have to talk about?"

"I'm sure you could come up with something," Kate smirked and the reached out to the container she had brought, "I brought dessert…"

"Cookies?" Emily asked, trying to peek through the plastic. Kate always had cookies, and the times where she was asked to babysit Emily, she always gave her cookies. Especially when Serena got sick, Emily had a hard time always going to her sister when the kids at school bullied her. Though she tried to be strong for Serena, sometimes her bullies were just a little stronger. When that happened, Emily would knock on Kate's door. She always left the house feeling a little better (Kate wasn't as good at cheering her up as Serena) and a tin of fresh, homemade cookies. Thinking about it now, Emily was sure that was the reason she loved cookies so much. Baking them with Kate helped her forget about all the mean kids at school, and it was always fun making cookies.

"Peanut butter and chocolate chip," Kate passed the container around to each of the Samurai, before handing everything that was left over to Emily. Emily put the lid back on the container and hugged it to her chest. She would eat them later, when no one would ask her for more.

Just then, a loud scream echoed through the house. Terran was awake from his nap. It was perfect timing for Mike, who held up his hand, stopping Serena and James from getting up.

"Emily and I've got it, right?"

"He's not eating my cookies," Emily shook her head, "I don't love him that much."

"Sure you do," Mike chuckled, "C'mon, Em, you can watch me change his after-nap diaper."

Emily nodded her head. That was always an adventure for Mike, who hadn't quite mastered diaper changing yet. He could do it, but sometimes he ended up a little messier than the dirty diaper. Emily passed the container of cookies to Ji, the only person she trusted who wouldn't steal from her.

"Keep it safe," she told him and he gave her a promising nod.

As they left the room, Mia took that as her cue. Mike wanted to talk to Emily alone about the wedding, and he had asked her to share the news with the others. He wanted them to be able to help him with the last stages of the preparations. If all went well, he and Emily would be married by tomorrow.

Mia took a deep breathe, "Guys, there's something we need to talk about," the smile and the cookie fell from Serena's face. Mike and Emily had just gone out of earshot and Mia had something to talk about? Mia saw her fearful reaction and quickly shook her head, "No, no. Nothing like that."

"Careful, Mia," James rubbed Serena's back comfortingly, "You're going to give her a heart attack…"

"I might still," Mia bit her lip, "You know how Mike died, right?"

Everyone, even Kate, nodded. It seemed Ji had told her. Apparently they did talk a lot.

"Well, Mike's decided to take advantage of his life now. You know… and…" it would have been so much easier to say without Serena glaring her down. She gulped and then just spit it out, as merrily as she could, hoping that would provoke a positive reaction from Serena, "Mike wants to get married to Emily before we go home."

There was a dead silence. All eyes turned to Serena. Everyone was happy, but they internalized it, knowing it was very likely Serena would flip her lid. Though she supported Mike and Emily, she was always the first to remind them they were still young. And no matter how much time passed, no matter how long they were in love and engaged, Emily would always be Serena's baby sister. A wedding would always mean letting her go.

Serena launched her second cookie at Mia, "And it took you this long to tell me!" a bright smile lit up her face, "As maid of honour, do you have any idea how much I need to do before the wedding?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Mia shook her head, "Who says you're her maid of honour?"

"Sister, duh."

"Sister, by choice, duh," Mia smirked.

"You really want to start this now, Watanabe?" Serena crossed her arms over her chest.

"I would," Mia nodded, "but that would only mean disappointment for you. I guess I'll let you win this war," Mia reached into her pocket.

"You'll let me win?" Serena smirked, "Please, that's a cop-out. You know you're going to lose."

"I know I'm already going to have enough work to do at the wedding," Mia pulled out a paper from her pocket and passed it over to Serena to unfold, "Mike just wants a little ceremony for himself and Emily. I'm guessing that means there will be a second, bigger wedding after we defeat Xandred, with family and all. He doesn't care if this wedding isn't official, but I just thought…"

"You've been ordained as a minister?" Serena gasped, seeing the paper in her hands was a certificate.

"The internet is a wonderful thing," Mia smirked and grabbed the certificate back. Serena looked to her very strangely.

"You're going to marry _my_ baby sister? Legally?"

"Did you ever plan on doing it?"

"No… but…"

"Then there you go," Mia stuck out her tongue, "I called it."

"This wedding…" Kate started to ask. Ji put his hand on her shoulder and gave her a gentle squeeze.

"I have kept my eye on both Mike and Emily for a very long time now," he assured her. "I promise you, there is no one better, for either of them."

Kate just shook her head, "Emily's eighteen… She deserves to still be a kid…"

"Kate, it's fine," Serena smiled, "Mike's good for her. They'll grow up, and they'll grow old together. I have every faith in that."

Kate took a deep breath. She wanted what was best for Emily, but she knew she wasn't in a position to judge or call off the wedding. She was going to have to trust that Emily knew what she was in for. Kate had never been married herself, but she knew it took a lot of hard work, a lot of patience, compassion, flexibility, compromise, understanding, and love. Emily had that. Kate had always seen those qualities in Emily. She had no idea who Mike was.

"So, is Mike upstairs asking Emily now?" Antonio gestured to the stairs. Mia nodded her head.

"Hopefully he can pull out the romance with a stinky diaper in the room."

-Samurai-

Unsure of how the wedding talk would work out with the Samurai downstairs, Mike wanted to make sure he and Emily were upstairs for some time. He wanted Mia to talk with the others, knowing they would take the idea more seriously if it came from her mouth. But he had to talk to Emily himself. He needed to make sure this was what she really wanted.

After changing Terran's diaper – and disposing of it before it stunk up the room – they decided to play with the little boy. Since he had learned to walk, Terran's whole world was different. Every day, he loved to run around and explore. He loved seeing his toys, and looked to them like they were all brand new. It was amazing watching him, and there was always a laugh to be had.

Hearing his fiancée giggling as Terran explored the wonders of a suitcase, Mike knew he had made the right choice. He could picture it, years from now. Emily was great with Terran, and would be even better with her own kids. With their kids. He had no doubt. They would make a wonderful family.

"Blast off!" Mike cried, scooping Terran high into the air and then gently lowering him onto the bed. Terran loved to be shot up like a rocket. He loved to move around. Mike could see him causing a lot of trouble for Serena once he really got used to walking around, just like he had caused his own mother a lot of trouble.

Emily picked out some new clothes for Terran, certain Serena didn't want him wearing pyjamas all day. As she started to change him, Mike looked to her with a smile.

"You know, I've been thinking…"

"Uh oh."

"Nothing bad," Mike chuckled, "You remember, when we first got engaged and we were picking locations for the wedding."

"You said you wanted the beach," Emily nodded, "but we agreed on getting married here."

"Not agreed," Mike smiled and wrapped his arms around her waist while she tried to get a squirming Terran's arms through the sleeves of his shirt, "I always wanted to get married wherever you wanted to get married."

"In the sewage system?"

"Within reason."

Emily smiled, "I know there's a lot to be done but…"

"Not much," Mike shook his head. "I mean, I've had a look around, and the barn seems like the perfect place. The animals are outside during the day anyways, and with the stalls cleaned out, it's sanitary enough, even for Kevin."

"The barn is a nice place," Emily was grinning, "You remember the old barn just a little ways off our land, back when we were looking for my Stone, right?"

"Yeah."

"Serena and I played in there all the time. She would take me there for the day, after she was finished with chores and training and stuff. If we couldn't go there, we would mess around in our own barn. We had to be careful of the tools, but it was always fun. It would be really nice to have a wedding there. It's like… where I grew up."

Emily quickly turned around to look at Mike, "But it's your wedding too," she smiled at him, "You can have some stuff that you want…"

"Em, I've never really thought about my wedding. I just know I want you happy. I want to give you what you want."

"But that's not fair. It's our wedding. Our day…"

"Alright, you know the one thing I want. More than anything?"

"What?"

"You."

"Mike…"

"As my bride."

"Stop being romantic and just tell me something, anything you want for the wedding. You can have it."

"Tomorrow."

Emily's eyes widened, her jaw dropped, her muscles relaxed, were it not for the fact that he was already holding her, Mike would have had to take her into his arms so she wouldn't collapse.

"Em?"

"T-tomorrow?"

"Only if you want," Mike said, "Just a little ceremony. Mia promised to take care of everything, and we both know she'll get it done right. We can have a bigger, more official wedding after we defeat Xandred, but before the Nighlok come back, before we go home, I want to pledge my heart to you, and I hope you'll pledge yours to me."

Emily nodded her head, threw her arms around Mike and then she couldn't help herself. She started to tear up. She didn't deserve him. She really didn't deserve him. But she couldn't live without him.

"Yes," she whispered in his ear, "I want to marry you."

Mike smiled and pulled her in for a passionate kiss. Before he took it too far though, remembering Terran was still in the room, with his innocent eyes watching, Mike pulled away. He grabbed the young boy and started for the door.

"Mike?" Emily asked, seeing him rushing off to leave.

"Groom can't see the bride before the wedding," he told her. "I'll get Mia, and hopefully Serena up here to take care of you. I'll go see if the others are on board."

"Why are you taking Terran?"

"Ring bearer," Mike smirked, "I'll make him all nice and fancy, I promise."

"Wait! If we have a ring bearer, who's the flower girl?"

"Uh…" Mike had a look around the room, spotted a tail sticking out from under the bed, and smirked. He rushed over, pulled Storm out and put her in Emily's arms.

"Flower girl," he gave Emily a kiss, "I'll see you tomorrow!"

Emily watched him leave and then held Storm up so they were at eye level with each other, "Well, I guess it's a good thing you and Mike learned to like each other, or this would have been a very awkward wed… wedding."

Wedding. The countdown to the best day of her life started now. She couldn't believe it.


	8. Wedding Jitters

While everyone was inside, getting ready for the spontaneous wedding that would take place the following day, Ji had to take a moment to step outside. Kate followed him, needing to walk away from the chaos as well.

"I can't believe this," she whispered, running her hands through her hair, "I remember the day you asked me to look out for their mother. Their mother! I was there when she found out she was pregnant with Serena, I was there for Serena's first steps. I was maid of honour at her wedding… now Emily, little Emily, is getting married."

"Mike is a great man," Ji assured her, but this was a shock for him too. He hadn't watched either Samurai grow up like Kate had, but he had spent nearly every day, for two years, watching them, caring for them, training them, and, in a small way, raising them. They were his children. No one could say otherwise.

They were growing up. It was only a matter of time before the others did as well. Only a matter of time before they started their own lives. It dawned on him, because of the wedding, that they were only still living with him because of Xandred. As soon as they defeated him, sealed him away for good, that would be the end. He had ever faith this team would do it. He was certain this would be the last team of Samurai Rangers earth ever needed – and then he had no idea what he had to live for. From the day he was born, years and years ago, he had been raised to serve the Samurai Rangers. He had been raised to help them, in any way, to defeat the Nighlok. When the Nighlok were gone, what would become of him? They wouldn't need him.

Kate noticed Ji's silence and took his hand in hers, "Are you okay?"

"Fine," Ji nodded and tried to mask his worries. He tried to walk away from Kate, back into the house to help Mike get ready, but she didn't let go of his hand.

"C'mon, Ji. This is a big deal. Two of your Samurai are getting married…"

"Move in with me."

If Ji had been trying to get Kate to let go of his hand, mission accomplished. She pulled away from him before he could even finish his sentence and looked to him with horror.

"Excuse me?"

"You know all about the Samurai. It's only a matter of time before they win, leave, and I have the house all to myself."

"Ji, that's Jayden's home," Kate shook her head, "You can't expect him to move out. He has the right to take it from you."

That felt like a kick to the nuts. She was right. It was the Shiba House for a reason. Though his family had lived in the home alongside the Shiba Clan since coming to the United States, the house did belong to Jayden. Surely he would want to stay in the house, and he would want Antonio to stay with him. Ji was coming face to face with the possibility of being kicked out.

Kate took Ji's hand again, seeing he looked very fearful of what she had just said, "I doubt he will. I'm sure you two will talk about who gets the house. Kids usually prefer to move away, not take over. I should have said Jayden gets a say…"

Knowing this was doing nothing to cheer Ji up; Kate placed her hands on her hips and sighed, "Alright, Ji, spill. You were perfectly happily five minutes ago."

Ji looked up to Kate, "This is a lot to process."

"Mike and Emily have been engaged for a while. You must have known this day was coming. I should be the one freaking out…"

"What it means, Kate. Do you have any idea what all this means?" Ji pointed to the house, "Mike and Emily are getting married tomorrow. Soon, we will be back in the Shiba House. It'll be our last sprint against the Nighlok before we get to the finish line, I can feel it. After that, Mia and Kevin will get married. Serena and James will certainly get married. All six of them will move out."

"So?"

"What will become of me after that?"

Kate shrugged her shoulders. She really couldn't speak for the Samurai, even Emily and Serena. She hadn't been around. She could only see the Samurai world through Ji's eyes, through the stories he told her. But based on those stories, she knew one thing for sure.

"You are an important part of their lives now, Ji. Without a doubt, they would be nothing without you. They won't forget that."

"Kids grow up. They move on…"

"You're getting pre-wedding jitters," Kate chuckled. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him into a warm hug. He responded with his arms around her waist, amazing how comfortable he felt around her after such a short time. They had spoken for a while over the phone, but they only just met face to face about a day before. "You know, Ji, on the phone, when you talked about the Samurai, you sounded like an excited father. It was pretty cute."

"Cute?"

Kate nodded her head, "You see the Samurai like I see Serena and Emily. They aren't my girls, I know that, but I love them just the same. It's been my duty to look out for them, protect them, and you can't do a good job unless you care. You care about those kids, Ji, all of them. They care about you too."

"I'm just Mentor to them…"

"Mentor!" Emily came running out of the house, nearly stumbling down the steps. Barely noticing he was in the middle of a very private conversation with Kate, she rushed up to him and grabbed his arm, "I need your help?"

"What is it?"

"Dad's not here. My dad's supposed to walk me down the aisle. I know this isn't the real big ceremony, but it's the important one!"

"What about Serena…"

"I'm scared she won't let go," Emily shook her head, "Can you do it?"

"Emily…"

"Please, please, please!" Emily begged, pulling out the cutest pleading look she had ever mustered up. JI sighed and nodded his head.

"It would be my honour."

Emily smiled, reached up, and kissed Ji on the cheek before running back inside, almost stumbling again on the steps. Just as she made it back inside, Jayden stepped out. Ji had been absent for a while, and the boys were waiting for him to come back so they could figure out what they were going to do with Mike before the wedding, and what they needed to do during the wedding. Mike wanted them to all have an important role, so they needed to be well prepared.

"Is everything okay out here?" he asked.

Kate gave Ji a smile and pulled her car keys out of her pocket, "Serena and Mia have things under control. I should be getting home. I'll be back tomorrow for the wedding, though. I promise," she kissed his cheek, "You'll be okay, Ji."

As Jayden approached Ji, and Kate walked away, he made a funny face. He was okay with Ji having girl friends, but still uncomfortable with the thought of him having a girlfriend. Ji saw the face and smirked.

"I think we need to talk."

"I got the talk," Jayden assured him, "You and I promised to never speak of that day again, remember?"

"Silence is golden," Ji chuckled and received a sour look from Jayden.

"I get gold puns from my boyfriend all day long. You're not seriously going to start, are you? I don't think I can live with the two of you…"

"Just that one," Ji promised, "What do you need?"

"What?"

"You came out here for a reason, did you not?"

"Oh, right," Jayden nodded his head, "Mike wants you inside so we can start talking about his last night of freedom."

"Then let's go," Ji put his hand between Jayden's shoulders and walked with him towards the house. Halfway there he stopped. "Jayden, you were upset earlier…"

"It's nothing."

"That face you made when Kate kissed me just now…"

"It's nothing."

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Kate sooner. I'm sorry I wasn't honest…"

"Ji, it's okay. If she makes you happy, I guess I have to learn to…"

"I don't want to lose you, Jayden. None of you. Especially you."

"Ji…"

"Let's just enjoy this wedding. Hopefully soon, we'll all be back home, and we'll all be feeling so much better."

As Ji started back to the house, Jayden trailed behind. Ji didn't want to lose him… he didn't want to lose Ji.

"So… hypothetically… if you and Kate were to start something serious… what would happen with me, Serena, and Emily?"

Ji turned around and looked to Jayden quizzically, "Excuse me?"

"I mean, you're my father, and Kate kind of strikes me as an aunt figure for the girls. If you two do get married, will that make Emily and Serena my cousins?"

"I… what?"

"Well, you would be their uncle…"

"Jayden, I don't know what you think you saw between Kate and I, but so far, the future between us… undecided…. At best."

"Oh, c'mon," Jayden smirked and gave his father a pat on the back, "She's nice, she's pretty, she's your age. You're not young like me anymore. You're pushing it now, Ji, but once those wrinkles start to take over your face, you'll be lucky if a girl can see what you look like."

"Jayden."

"Yes?"

"Run."


	9. Cold Feet

It was the morning of the wedding. While Mike and Emily had gotten a chance to sleep (though Mike had mostly just passed out as a result of his spur of the moment bachelor party), the Samurai had been up all night getting the house and the barn ready for the big event. With about an hour of sleep under their belt, and a lot of caffeine in their veins, they were as ready as they could be for the big day.

Mike was allowed to sleep in. Though it would take him longer than usual to look nice for his wedding, it still wouldn't take him even a fraction of the time it would take Emily. She needed to be up, showered, her hair needed to be done, her make-up needed to be applied, she needed to be happy with both. Then she needed to get her dress on, last-minute adjustments needed to be made. Hair and make-up needed to be fixed up… it was a lot of work.

And Mia and Serena were ready to get started. Even if something went wrong, they would have her ready to go down the aisle on time, if not a little early. There was just one thing standing in their way.

"You wake her up," Mia shoved Serena towards Emily's bed. Serena shook her head and quickly stepped back.

"I can't wake that!" Serena pointed to Emily's sleeping form, "I wake her up and then I send her to her wedding, where she forever abandons me for… Michael…"

"I thought you were okay with this," Mia laughed.

"I am… it's just… Michael… You wake her up."

"No way. I can't send her off. I'm having flashbacks too."

"Of what, two years ago?" Serena rolled her eyes. "You wake her up, I'll get started on breakfast…"

"No way," Mia pushed Serena towards the bed again, "You wake her up. You're her sister."

"You're her sister by choice."

"You're maid of honour. It's your job to take care of the bride."

"Aha, take care," Serena smirked, "If Emily's sleeping, she obviously still needs the rest. Taking care of her would mean giving her what she needs…"

"Guys…"

"She needs to start getting ready for her wedding," Mia said, "I'm just marrying them. I get paid whether she turns up or not."

"No one's paying you."

"Guys…"

"If no one's paying me, what am I doing here?"

"You're the wedding planner. You have to be here."

"Not if I'm not getting paid."

"Why would you get paid? You're one of us. Now wake her up."

"Guys… I am awake…"

"Shh, Em, go back to sleep," Serena waved her off. Emily sighed, looked down at Storm and shook her head. She got out of bed and started to head downstairs, hoping Mike was still sleeping. It was hard not running into him when they were both in the same house, but so far they had managed.

"C'mon flower pup. I guess I'm making my own breakfast this morning. Unless you know how to make chocolate chip and blueberry pancakes?"

-Samurai-

Because Mike could sleep in a little longer, the boys weren't needed to help him get ready just yet, and were making sure everything in the barn still looked good. Mike had been out to help them with the flowers for a bit before he went to bed, being the only one who could create flowers in an instant. James, Ji, Jayden, Antonio, Kevin, and even Terran, were making sure the flowers were still in place and the stalls, as well as the rest of the barn, were cleaned.

James yawned loudly, adjusting the chairs for the Samurai to sit on while Mia married Mike and Emily.

"Is everything perfect now?" he looked to Kevin, who seemed surprised all the final decisions were falling on his shoulders.

"It's my fiancé who is the wedding freak, not me," he shook his head, "I'm as clueless as the rest of you."

"Well, we have an aisle," Antonio walked down between the two rows of chairs, and then he stood beneath the arch, where Mike and Emily would stand as Mia married them. Appropriately, the arch was decorated in yellow flowers. Most of the flowers in the barn were yellow, but there were some of every colour to be found, as Emily had insisted everyone be a part of the wedding in every way. "Mike and Emily will stand here. We'll watch from the seats… I don't think we'll need much more."

"How will Terran get down the aisle?" Jayden asked, holding the little boy in his arms. Fortunately, Terran could walk without aid, and would make it down the aisle, but it wouldn't be without distractions. He was too young to understand what was going on and what was being asked of him. However, Mike insisted he needed to be a part of the wedding, and it was up to his best man Kevin, and the rest of his team to figure out how to make it happen.

Kevin stroked his chin, "We're going to need to come up with something… shiny?"

"Shiny?" James asked.

"Yeah, like… you know, wave it in front of him, have him walk to us to get it…"

"That was our plan to get Storm down the aisle," James shook his head, took Terran into his own arms and hugged his son, "I'm insulted you think the plan for the dog will work on my son."

"He's eight months old. You should be proud he'll be walking down the aisle," Antonio shrugged. He took Terran, set him on the floor and then walked away from him. Terran started to look around the barn in awe, clearly already distracted. He started to walk towards one of the horse's stalls, to see what was in there. Then he heard a strange noise. He turned around and saw his uncle waving something shiny his way.

Antonio dangled his watch and smirked as Terran started to make his way over, interested in the shiny object. Then, from outside, one of the horses whinnied. Startled, Terran stopped right in his tracks, fell on his butt and started to scream loudly. James picked him up to soothe him and glared at Antonio.

"Not going to work."

"Alright, we'll come up with something," Antonio promised.

Kevin looked at his own watch and sighed at the time, "You guys better before I get back. I've got to pick up the rings."

"Does Emily's dress have sparkles?" Antonio looked to Ji. As the man who would walk Emily down the aisle, he was the only one allowed to visit Emily before the wedding itself.

"Why?"

"Sparkles are shiny. Terran might naturally be drawn to her dress."

"Problem is, she'll be behind him," Jayden reminded his boyfriend, "We're lucky Terran's walking. I doubt we're going to be lucky enough to watch him walk down the aisle backwards."

"Our only solution might be to walk him down the aisle ourselves," Ji suggested.

"That's not as cute," Antonio shook his head. He took Terran back from James, "I'll make sure you're walking down that aisle, kid. You're going to steal the show."

"Uh, Antonio…"

Jayden pulled James back and shook his head, "Don't bother…"

-Samurai-

With Emily out of bed, and with breakfast in her stomach, it was time for her to start getting ready. While she was in the shower getting washed up, Mia and Serena were setting up her room so that it would be easier getting her dressed, and they wouldn't have to run around like maniacs.

As Mia set the dress gently on the bed, admiring the work her symbol power had created, Serena couldn't stop staring at her Samuraizer. This wedding was just a small affair, but there was a thought in the back of her mind that she couldn't ignore. What about the parents? They deserved to be here.

"Mia, do you mind if I step out to check up on the guys for just a second?"

"Go for it," Mia answered. "Just don't take too long. She's bound to finish that shower soon."

Serena nodded her head and stepped out of the bedroom, slowly making her way down to the main floor, then outside, then over to the barn. She stepped into what would be the place where her little sister would have her wedding and gasped. It was even more beautiful than the night before.

"Seriously, you guys are amazing. Emily's going to love this."

"It's still got that country feel for Emily, and flowers everywhere for Mike," James smiled. "Personally, I think it's perfect."

"I think you're right," Serena looked around in awe one more time before clearing her head and gathering Ji, Jayden, and James around. She didn't know where Antonio was, and assumed Kevin was taking care of his responsibilities as best man. "Alright… Mia's kind of giving Mike and Emily a kick ass gift by making this wedding legal."

"Yeah, kind of hard to top," Jayden nodded his head.

"Especially when we have… no gifts…" Ji added with a sigh. That's when Serena smirked.

"We could get them a gift. The wedding's not until tonight. It's a long drive up, but their parents can make it in time."

"Their parents?" Ji asked a little nervously. If Jack turned up, his role to walk Emily down the aisle would be ripped away from him. Serena smiled sympathetically and touched his arm.

"You know, Emily's got two arms, right? She can be escorted on both sides. Her real father, and her Samurai father can give her away."

"Both of her worlds," Jayden said.

The smile returned to Ji's face and he nodded, "Call them up."

"One problem," Serena sighed, "If they come up, we've got to go. After the wedding, of course, but we're pushing our luck with the Nighlok. If we stay with our parents for too long, we could be putting them in danger."

"You guys can spend the next few days at my house," James offered up without hesitation. "The Shiba House should be finished soon, and I think I've reached my danger max anyways. The only way I could be in anymore danger was if one of you actually planned on killing me."

"I might," Serena muttered and James looked at her, shocked. Then he saw she was looking past him, and didn't seem very happy, "James, why is my son being led around by a rope?"

James turned around furiously, "ANTONIO! No treating my son like a dog!"

Serena looked to Ji and Jayden, "Deal with it."

-Samurai-

Inside the house, Emily was done with her shower and got back into her pyjamas while Mia started on her hair. Emily wasn't sure what she wanted done exactly, but Mia seemed to have a vision. Trusting her pink sister wouldn't make her look like an idiot, she let Mia work her magic while her thoughts strayed. She couldn't believe she was getting married. She couldn't believe she was getting married first. Growing up, before Serena's illness, she was sure Serena would be married long before she would. Then, after meeting Mia, she was sure the pink Ranger would get her turn first. Mia had gotten a boyfriend before Emily, she had gotten engaged before Emily… she had done everything before Emily except for this.

Butterflies started to flutter in her stomach. Her hands started to shake. She gripped the seat of her chair, trying to control the trembling, but it was too late, Mia had already seen her. She put the blow dryer down and knelt before Emily.

"It's a big step," she smiled.

"I've never been a first before," Emily whispered. "Now I'm the first to get married? Married!"

"Nothing's going to be different," Mia promised her, "You and Mike will be lucky enough to ease into marriage. Once this is done, we're going back home to our regular life, where the two of you live together anyways."

"Married!"

"It's scary, Emy," Mia pulled her in for a comforting hug, "but none of us would let this happen if we thought, for a second, it was a bad idea."

"Is everything okay?" Serena was back from making her phone call and could see the bride preparations had been put on a temporary hold. "Cold feet, Emily?"

"Do you think this is a good idea?"

Serena looked at her baby sister. This was it. She had total control. She could see her sister was nervous, and she could stop the wedding now by planting a seed of doubt in her mind. She could take Emily away from Mike and keep her to herself, just like when they were younger.

"Mike's a great man," Serena smiled and kissed Emily's forehead, "You picked a very good one, Emily. Don't you dare let him go."

The nerves disappeared almost instantly. Knowing she had her sister's support, Emily felt so much better about the wedding. Though Serena had been misguided in the past, one thing was obvious: she always wanted what was best for Emily.

Serena picked up the blow dryer, "Close your eyes, Emy, and don't peek until we're done."


	10. Wedding Day

Things were still very rocky down in the Netherworld as Serrator made it back to the ship with Dekker and Dayu in tow. They had each suffered a humiliating loss after their last plan to turn the Rangers into children, and were still recovering from that battle. Serrator, more than ever, was determined to see the end of the Samurai Rangers, and he wanted to make sure it happened before Xandred was back from his soak in the bottom of the Sanzu River.

Behind him, following reluctantly, were Dekker and Dayu, who had been hostages of Serrator's since they had tried to kidnap Terran. Serrator wasn't happy with their refusal to cooperate, but had gotten them to come back to the ship with him by swearing to give them something in return, should they do the one final thing that they asked. They too were still recovering from their injuries, and were a little worse off than Serrator. Rather than piss him off, and let him go back to the ship alone, they decided to call a somewhat truce, for the time being.

"Ah," Serrator smiled as he stepped foot on the empty ship, "It's good to be back."

Dekker and Dayu were on board next. Dekker had a look around. In all his years as a Nighlok, he had very rarely been on board Xandred's ship, choosing not to align himself with the Nighlok. He was his own ally. He followed no one's orders. Even now, with Serrator leading him, Dekker had thoughts of ending this miserable alliance. Serrator was not to be trusted.

"Ooh, ahh, ooh, where have you three been?" Octoroo waddled out from the backroom.

Serrator cast him aside, "We had an unfortunate meeting with the Samurai Rangers."

"I saw what happened," Octoroo smirked beneath his tentacles, but was shaking his head. It was best not to piss off Serrator, especially when Xandred wasn't around. "You got your ass handed to you by a bunch of Samurai children!"

"I will admit, I underestimated their power…"

"The yellow Ranger turned you into her _goggie_," Dayu chuckled. Serrator glared at her. He was more than ready to rid himself of her, seeing her as nothing more than a waste of space, but she and Dekker had an alliance, even if it was a little rocky. He couldn't do anything to one without alarming the other. He needed Dekker, and so Dayu had to stay.

"Fortunately, I have a greater plan already in the making," Serrator said. "Until now, these Rangers have had it easy. Soon, they will feel my true wrath."

"It's hard to take you seriously after what I've seen," Octoroo rolled his eyes. Serrator gave him an angry look.

"And what have you accomplished, noodle face?"

"While you were gone, I decided to have my own fun with the Rangers," Octoroo said, "Unfortunately, they proved too strong for my Samurai clones, but I did manage to take them away from their home and away from the city. Without their watchful eyes, Sanzu Water has slowly begun to seep through."

"Only making my plan that much easier," Serrator smirked and gave Octoroo a pat on the head, "I guess you aren't completely worthless after all. Now, why don't you go and do something somewhere else."

Octoroo sighed, but did as he was asked, not out of respect, but because he couldn't stand to be near Serrator any longer. He didn't trust the smirking monster.

As Octoroo waddled off, Serrator turned to Dayu and Dekker. He looked to Dayu in particular, "Go and see what the Rangers are up to now. It's been a while since I've gotten to play with them. I'd like to know how they are doing."

Dayu glared, "You think you can just order me around like some puppet…?"

"Dayu, go," Dekker told her, "Do as he asks. We will all benefit from knowing what the Rangers are up to."

With an angry sigh, Dayu set off. Dekker looked to Serrator, with one hand on the hilt of his sword Urumasa. Serrator shook his head and waved his hand, indicating he wasn't a threat to Dekker.

"Soon, I will need you for something."

"And you think, after everything you've done to me, I'll help you?"

Serrator smiled, "Dekker, when I asks for favours, I always make sure I give something back. You want your son…"

"More than anything," Dekker growled and looked to the wounds in his shoulder and his chest, where he had been shot by Serena's father for his attempt to take back his son. Dayu had told him of his boy, and how Serena thought she had the right to rip him away. For the first time in centuries, there was something Dekker wanted more than the ultimate duel, and Serena was depriving him of that. No matter what it took, he would get his son.

"I can make sure you get him," Serrator smiled, "My plan, as you can expect, involves the destruction of the Samurai Rangers, Serena included. If I succeed, there will be no one left standing between you and your son. You can take him back, and do whatever it is you want to do with that… human…"

Dekker looked to Serrator with interest, "So, if I help you? You will give me my son?"

"If that's what you want."

"You've betrayed Dayu before," Dekker shook his head, "You plan on betraying Master Xandred, your own king. Why should I trust you?"

"Why shouldn't you?" Serrator shrugged his shoulders, "You have nothing to lose…"

"Because of what you've done to me."

"I will give you some time to think about it," Serrator said. "I will understand if you choose not to help me, but I think it's in both of our best interest if you do. After all, my plan will happen, with or without you, and if you're not around while it comes true, there might not be anyone to protect your son."

Dekker growled at Serrator and then jumped away from the ship. He had to think.

-Samurai-

Back on the farm, it was getting closer and closer to the wedding hour. Mike was up, showed, shaved, and dressed for his wedding, and he was running around in a panic trying to get all the last minute details ready. Kevin, his best man, and the other men in his party and Kate were trying to calm him down, but they couldn't stop chuckling at how frantic he was over the smallest of details.

"You have the rings, right?" Mike asked Kevin for the fifth time in the last hour. Kevin tapped his pocket, feeling they were there, and then he decided he would have a little fun. He put his hand in his pocket and his eyes widened.

"Oh shit! There's a hole!"

"What!" Mike gasped and almost dove to the ground, but Kevin grabbed his arm, keeping him upright and keeping his tux from getting dirty.

"I'm kidding, Mike."

"That's not funny," Mike shook his head. "Show me the rings."

Kevin pulled both rings out of his pocket and Mike breathed a sigh of relief.

"Don't you dare lose them."

"You're talking to Kevin," Antonio chuckled, "The man doesn't even lose an eyelash. Everything's fine, Mike. Have a seat and just wait for the ceremony."

"I can't sit down!" Mike cried and paced back and forth, "Oh God, why can't this happen now? Are you sure she's not ready yet? We don't need to be right on time, do we? We can be early. We should be early… my stomach's in knots. I'm going to throw up. This was a bad idea…"

Kevin grabbed Mike by the shoulders. If Mike was freaking out this badly, he couldn't imagine what Serena and Mia were dealing with when it came to Emily - the bride.

"Mike, this wedding is one of the best ideas you've ever had," he held the groom steady and looked him in the eye, "Emily loves you, there's no doubt about that."

"But what if…"

Kevin shook his head, "She loves you. When she sees you standing there, she's not going to see anything else. I promise you."

"The rings…"

"I have them," Kevin chuckled, "All you need to do is say I do. I promise, I'll make sure everything's running smoothly."

"Okay," Mike nodded and took a deep breath. Suddenly, the barn doors started to open. Mike checked his watch, worried it was time to start the wedding and he wasn't where he was supposed to be. Then he saw his parents walking in and a smile lit up his face, "Mom! Dad!"

"Wow," Antonio smirked and looked over to Ji, "They made it with time to spare."

"You're getting married," David gave his son a big hug and then grabbed his arms to look at him, "And we have to hear about it from your sister in-law?"

Mike was at a loss for words. He had been a little disappointed his parents weren't going to make it to this wedding, but he planned on having another one, a big ceremony where his friends and family would be invited.

But this was better. This was so much better. This was the wedding that counted, in his heart, and sharing this moment with his parents meant the world to him. His mother then took him in her arms and she hugged him warmly. Mike could feel some of her tears soaking his shoulder, "Mom…"

"It's your big day," she looked up at him with a smile and straightened out his jacket, then his tie, "Emily's a sweet girl. She must be if she's going to be your wife. I wish nothing but the best for both of you. But please, Michael, never forget you're always going to be my little boy."

Mike nodded his head and hugged his mother again. She had done everything for him, turning him into a bit of a momma's boy. He wasn't ashamed of it. In fact, he was proud, and he was so happy to see her here, on his big day, ready to support him, and willing to give him her blessings.

"Let's get you ready for the big moment," David gave Mike a pat on the back, "You don't want to do what I did on my wedding day."

"Which was?" Mike asked. His mother shook her head.

"Dave, don't scare the poor boy," she touched Mike's cheek, "Everything's going to be perfect."

-Samurai-

Serena couldn't be in the room anymore. Emily had her dress on, and Mia was just touching up her hair and make-up. It was almost time for the big moment and Serena could barely breathe – and it wasn't because of her own dress.

Given the age difference between her and Emily, Serena could remember Emily's life almost better than her own, and several times she had even had to step up and play a motherly role. Her baby sister, in a way, was her baby, and the thought of today being her wedding day scared Serena more than anyone else.

Suddenly, the door, which she was leaning against to catch her breath, opened and she almost fell back. Mia quickly caught her and straightened her up, all while giggling. She stepped out of the room and closed the door, looking to Serena with a big smile.

"You're not getting cold feet, are you? If you're even thinking about objecting to the wedding, I'll make sure you don't get the chance."

"Not objecting," Serena shook her head. The thought hadn't crossed her mind. Kidnapping the bride, however and locking her away in the closet so the wedding wouldn't happen was an option she was still considering, though.

"Good," Mia smiled. "I have to go downstairs and get everything ready. Bring her down on time, got it? I wait for no one."

"You mean I have to go in there?" Serena pointed to the bedroom and shook her head, "Nahuh, that's not going to happen."

"She needs you, Serena. Be the big sister – go tell her how proud you are of her. Go wish her the best. She needs to hear it again. My words don't cut it anymore. Turns out, you are the favourite."

Serena nodded her head, took a deep breath, and then headed into the room. She kept her eyes on the floor as she closed the door, and then couldn't turn around.

"Serena…"

"Give me a minute, Emily."

"You said this wasn't a mistake."

Serena could hear it. Emily was getting nervous again. She shook her head and forced herself to turn around. Her breath was instantly taken away. "Oh my god…"

"Is it too much?"

Serena shook her head and reached out, touching one of her sister's beautiful, soft curls, and then she looked down at the white dress. It wasn't much. Emily had insisted she didn't need the big, fancy dress. It was simple, yet very elegant, and showed off just how beautiful Emily really was, without trying too hard. Tears started to spill from Serena's eyes, and Emily rushed to get a tissue for her.

"Stop it," she chuckled, "You're going to ruin your make-up and mine."

Serena dried her eyes and walked Emily over to the bed. She sat her down and then knelt before her.

"Promise me something, Emy."

"What?"

Promise me you're going to have the best life possible, with the very best man, and you're going to create the very best memories to look back on at the end of your life. And promise, that while you're out there, having the best time starting your new life, with your new family, you're not going to forget where you came from."

"Promise," Emily smiled and threw her arms around Serena's neck, hugging her tight.

Just as she was about to start crying, there was a knock on the door. Emily had never been so happy for company before and eagerly called them in while wiping the tears from her eyes, saving herself from having to redo her make-up.

Ji walked in with a bright smile on his face, which lit up even more when he saw Emily, "You look stunning."

"Thanks," Emily blushed and looked down at her dress.

"Mike is a very lucky man," Ji said and then he opened the door a little wider, "It would be _our_ honour to give you to him."

Emily's eyes lit up with joy, "Daddy!" she jumped into his arms and held her father tight. This wedding was now perfect – almost. "Where's mom?"

"She's heading to the barn as we speak," Jack smiled as he set his daughter down and had a good look at her. He too started to tear up.

"Oh no," Emily shook her head, grabbed her father and Ji by the arms, "We need to get this wedding done fast, before everyone makes me cry!"

-Samurai-

Mike waited next to Mia and Kevin, with the small, but very special wedding party all in their seats. It was minutes until the wedding. Emily would be down soon.

As Mike chewed his nails, Mia grabbed his arm, seeing he needed a distraction. These last few minutes were almost too painful to bear.

"I have a surprise for you," she whispered and held her hand out to Kevin. Because of her dress, she didn't have a pocket and couldn't keep her certificate on her, so she had Kevin hold it. He put the paper in her hand and she held it up to show Mike. His jaw dropped.

"You're a minister?"

"Wonderful world wide web," Mia nodded her head, "I told you I would make this happen."

Mike smiled. In every way, this wedding was very real. By the end of the night, Emily would be his wife. There would be no doubt about that. No one could say otherwise.

"Mia, you're amazing," Mike smiled and kissed her cheek, "I really don't know what to say."

"You died for Kevin and I," Mia shrugged, "Sitting my ass down in front of a computer, even with the slowest internet imaginable, was seriously the _least_ I could do."

Mike smiled, admiring the certificate until he heard the barn doors opening again and he knew this was it. Serena and her mother walked in first, down the aisle and Mike was as happy as he thought he could be. Emily's family was here too. He knew how important that was for her and couldn't imagine how she must have been feeling.

Just outside, Emily was ready to go. Her mother and her sister were already inside and everyone was waiting for her. Ji and Jack, however, hesitated.

"C'mon," she tugged on their arms, "This will happen with or without you. I can be flexible."

"I'm proud of you…"

"No more speeches," Emily shook her head, "I'm on the verge of tears already. Let's just do this."

Ji and Jack gave little nods and then opened the door. All eyes instantly turned around and Emily felt very uncomfortable. She was never one to seek attention and at this moment, that was all she was getting.

Then she looked down the aisle at Mike and everything melted away. He looked stunning dressed up in his tux, and the way he looked back at her, with a spark in his eyes, was something Emily would never forget.

Antonio suddenly whistled and Storm started to bark and ran passed Emily, Ji, and Jack, down the aisle with flowers in her collar. Right behind her, Terran was moving as quickly as he could, trying to catch the dog. Antonio grinned and turned to Jayden as both the flower pup, and the ring bearer made it down the aisle.

"See, I could do it."

"You're insane," Jayden sighed.

Emily was walked down the aisle, and then Ji and Jack each gave her a kiss on the cheek as they let her go. Emily stood before Mike with a bright smile on her face. She could see he was at a loss for words. So was she.

"Guys… guys!" Mia waved her hand between the two of them, "Uh, this wedding thing can't happen if neither of you says I do."

"What?"

"Already?"

Mia rolled her eyes, "I should have seen that coming. Mike, I said: do you take Emily…"

"I do."

"Uh… okay. Then, Emily…"

"I do."

Mia threw her hands in the air and then turned to Kevin, "This is not happening at our wedding."

Serena cleared her throat, "Rings," she coughed out. Kevin smiled and pulled the rings out from his pocket.

Mike looked down at the little metal circle in his hand. Now, this was truly it. As he slipped the ring onto Emily's finger, she became his wife and when she put the ring on his finger, he was her husband.

"You may now…" before Mia could finish, Mike took Emily's hand and the two of them raced out of the barn, leaving their friends and family very confused. Serena leaned over and whispered to a slightly frustrated Mia.

"You know, I didn't see that coming, but I'm not surprised. Shall we…?"

"Paperwork, now, before I change my mind," Mia nodded her head.

Outside, the newlyweds raced out into the field. As happy as they were to celebrate with their family, it was very rare they got a moment to themselves. When they were far enough away from the barn, Mike pulled Emily into his arms, hugged her tight and leaned down. He kissed his wife for the very first time.

"We can't honeymoon," he said between kisses, "until after Xandred's defeated…"

"This is a nice place," Emily gestured to the field, "We can have the big honeymoon after the big wedding."

Mike nodded and sat down in the field, pulling Emily onto his lap and then pressing his lips to her.

He hadn't been to many weddings. In fact, he hadn't been to any, but this was, officially the best wedding ever.


	11. Home Bound

Knowing they couldn't get in trouble on their wedding night, Mike and Emily set out for an adventure. They had been informed, via Samuraizer, that they would be going to James' house in the morning so the parents would be safe, so they knew this was their last night on the farm and wanted to make the most of it.

With them gone, and the wedding over, the guests were left cleaning up. While the Rangers and the parents tackled the barn, Ji took Kate inside the house. This was officially his last night in her town, and there was something on his mind.

As she put away the cake, making sure there was more than enough for Mike and Emily when they got back, Ji breathed a sigh to get her attention. She turned around and smiled at him.

"It was a nice, spontaneous wedding, don't you think?"

"Perfect for them," Ji nodded, "It's just too bad it marks the end of our stay here."

Kate had realized the same thing as Ji. This was their last night together. Nothing but friendship had come from the trip, but the future was wide open. After all, she hadn't forgotten about the kisses they shared the first night of the summer festival.

"You'll likely have a lot of work to get back to," Kate said, "A lot."

"Very likely," Ji bit his lip, slightly nervous. Thinking about it now, he didn't want to leave Kate behind. Though he loved the Samurai, they were just kids in his eyes. Kate was a woman his age, someone with the same life experience behind her as he had. She knew enough about the Samurai so he didn't need to hide anything, but at the same time, she had lived such a normal life that she was a breath of fresh air. And Ji found he could talk to her about almost anything; certainly more than he could share with the Samurai. Having a friend like that nearby would definitely be a bonus.

But he knew Kate had responsibilities here, and she had grown up here. Her family was here, her life was here. He couldn't ask her to move for him, when they had nothing more than friendship between them. It would give her the wrong idea. It would be way too quick.

"You know… if you ever need any help… I'm available. I'd like to think I know enough to… help."

"Most of it is paper work and covering up for the Rangers. Secret identities are hard to maintain."

"Tell me about it," Kate chuckled, "The last big earthquake was caused by Emily and destroyed the entire barn. People started to realize the earth only trembled around their land and started to ask questions. Fortunately, I kept them calm."

"You do a great job here."

"People trust the Sheriff's sister," Kate shrugged. "And it's easier in a small town, where you know everybody already. I can't imagine what the workload looks like in a big city."

"It is a hassle."

"Well, like I said. If you ever need help, just call."

"We might need help moving in," Serena answered as she walked in with a garbage bag over her shoulder.

"Serena," Ji and Kate both glared at her, letting her know she was not to get involved. She shrugged as she started to collect the garbage from the kitchen and dumped it into the bag.

"I'm just saying."

"You've said enough…"

"James and I have been talking outside about new living arrangements. I think he's leaning towards coming back to the Shiba House, which means his place will be empty most of the time."

"Serena…"

"I'm not saying you have to move in," Serena held her hands up defensively and backed away from the two, "I'm just saying, there is a place to stay if you wanted to come down to the city for a few days. Ji obviously wants you to come down, I can see the look in his eyes, and you're practically begging for an invite."

Both were silent. Serena groaned.

"Well, there's your invite, Kate. I'm not hooking you guys up on a date, or walking you down the aisle. Mom and dad are fine here. Apparently the neighbours are looking out for them too. We'll need a babysitter for Terran, from time to time, and Ji could use a little adult conversation face to face."

"I'll think about it," Kate smiled and looked over to Ji. He nodded his head in agreement. It did seem ideal.

Serena was also happy. Now James had to move in with her, the plans were set in stone. She would get her son and her fiancé back. She set off with the garbage, whistling happily as she went. Ji and Kate exchanged looks.

"We're going to have to keep our eye on that one."

"You're really going to need me around then," Kate chuckled. "When it comes to Serena, I still know her better than she knows herself."

-Samurai-

Memories. Good memories. Lying in the field, with his arms wrapped tightly around Emily brought back good memories of the first time they got engaged and ended up spending the night lying in the grass. It had been one of the best moments of his life, until Dayu decided to ruin it. Still, he would never forget that night.

Nor would he forget this one. He looked down at Emily's hand and saw not just her engagement ring, but her wedding ring as well. Then he looked at his own hand and smiled at his wedding band. He couldn't believe it had actually happened.

Emily was fast asleep in his arms, smiling contently and he could only imagine what she was dreaming of. He couldn't sleep. His dreams would never be as good as this.

A little ways off, Dayu stood and watched carefully. She had followed the Rangers' energy out far away from the city, just as Octoroo had said, and now had the green and yellow Rangers only a few yards away from where she was standing. Clutching her Shamisen, she knew she had them cornered. There was no way they could both outrun her. She doubted Serrator wanted her to go after the Rangers, but she didn't care much about what he wanted, and it wasn't like he would be able to argue if she managed to actually defeat even one of them. Very quietly, she stalked over to them, keeping her grip tight around her instrument.

Then suddenly she stopped. Seeing the way they were dressed, the way they were holding each other, the smiles on their faces, and the rings on their fingers, Dayu put the pieces together. Her eyes locked with the green Ranger's, who had just spotted her and was nudging his now wife awake.

Memories. Bad memories. This was déjà-vu. Dayu would not ruin this perfect night again. Dayu wouldn't touch a hair on Emily's head this time. As Emily was slowly pulled from her sleep, Mike jumped up to his feet, morphing instantly.

"You're back?"

"You're married?" Dayu asked him. She herself was having flashbacks to the night of her own wedding. The night her life changed forever, for the worst. Shaking her head, she wanted nothing more than to see someone else suffer. At the same time, the pain was unbearable. She was torn over what she wanted to do, and hesitated long enough for the yellow Ranger to figure out what was going on and stand side by side with her husband, fully morphed.

"Your move, Dayu."

There was venom in her voice that Dayu rarely heard. Understandably, she didn't want to have to fight on this night, and Dayu's presence meant only bad news. So Dayu tucked her Shamisen away. It was unbearable pain she was feeling and she couldn't go through with it. She bowed her head.

"Congratulations."

"Seriously?" Mike asked, "Cut the act. What the hell do you want?"

"We are on opposing sides, Rangers," Dayu slowly started to back away, "Next time we meet, you will get no second chance. Tonight, however, I wish you all the best."

Turning around, she headed off. She had information to bring back to the Netherworld. Serrator, Dekker, and Octoroo didn't need to know she let two Rangers go. Mike wanted to run after her and cut her down, but Emily grabbed his arm to hold him back and then powered down.

"Do you know what this means…?"

"Don't you dare pull a Mia on me, Emily," Mike shook his head, "Dayu's tried to kill you and Serena, and she wants Terran!"

"She's good, Mike. We both know she is," Emily looked up at him while still holding onto his arm. "She would have cut us into pieces."

"We're stronger than that."

"She would have won," Emily insisted. "Why didn't she?"

"She's a coward. She wouldn't have won. It's two on one…"

"Like that's stopped her from kicking butt before."

As Emily started to pull Mike back towards the house, thinking it was best they rejoined the group for the rest of the night, Mike looked over his shoulder. He didn't care what Emily thought. He didn't trust a bone in Dayu's body.

-Samurai-

The following morning, the Rangers were packing up to head back to James' house. As they got their suitcases ready, Ji was in the living room, pacing back and forth. Ideally, Kate would come down to Panorama City with him. He loved having her around, he loved the thought of getting to know her, and the idea of maybe starting a relationship with her, even just a little fling, did appeal to him. He could only hope she thought the same way.

He wouldn't blame her if she didn't, though. She was the one making all the sacrifices, and on such short notice. If she wanted to stay, he would be a little disappointed, but he would understand.

"So," Ji practically jumped out of his skin when Serena appeared in the room, seemingly from nowhere. Had he been paying attention to anything other than his thoughts, he would have noticed the Rangers were starting to make their way downstairs and they were ready to head off, "Any news on Kate, yet?"

"Nothing," Ji shook his head sadly and sighed, "I guess it's a no."

"You told her we're leaving at ten, right?"

"On the dot."

"Take it from me, Ji, balancing the Samurai life, and a relationship isn't easy," Serena shrugged, "Everything happens for a reason, right?"

"It was a lot to ask," Ji gave Serena a smile, "But I guess…"

The doorbell cut him off. He had butterflies in his stomach and he blushed red. Serena had never seen him like this before. He looked like a young boy with his very first crush. It was cute… for Ji.

"Aw," she teased him as Kate was let into the house by one of the Samurai, who pointed her to the living room. She made her way over with a suitcase in hand and smiled at Serena and Ji.

"Is there still a place for me?"

"If you don't mind rooming with a few wackos for a couple of days," Serena nodded her head, "I'll go tell James the news."

Kate smiled and looked down at her bags. Ji approached her very nervously and smiled.

"I can't believe you're doing this."

"I'm not getting any younger. It's about time I started to take some risks."

"Risks? Ji?" Antonio chuckled as he eavesdropped from the kitchen. Ji gave him a harsh look and pointed for him to leave. Antonio held up his hands and started to back away slowly. Ji looked to Kate apologetically.

"They are a handful. And they are everywhere. I hope you don't mind."

"Why do I get the feeling there will never be a dull moment?" Kate chuckled and was then almost bowled over as Mia and Emily raced through the living room.

"Get back here, Blabbermouth!" Mia cried as she chased Emily around.

"Girls!" Ji cried and pointed to the kitchen, "A little privacy, please!"

Emily jumped behind the couch for cover as Mia blocked her only way out.

"One more word out of you," Mia glared menacingly at Emily, "and I'll smack you so hard you'll forget all those secrets I shared with you."

"Secrets?" Kate asked. Emily poked her head out from behind the couch.

"Did you know Mia…? AHH!"

As Mia lunged for Emily, diving over the couch, Emily raced out from her safe place and into the kitchen. Mia was hot on her trail, finally giving Ji and Kate a little privacy, once again.

"Chaos," Ji groaned and shook his head in annoyance, "Pure chaos. Are you sure…?"

"It's worth a shot," Kate nodded. "I'll put my bags in my car. Maybe we can drive down together. Give the kids a little breathing space."

"I would appreciate that!" Jayden called from somewhere in the house.

Ji groaned again, "Does no one understand what the word privacy means?"

Kate chuckled as she carried her bags out. The chaos wasn't something she was used to, but she was adaptable, and it was an experience she was looking forward to. Ji was well worth it, and if everything went according to plan, she would have her own home to escape to.

Seeing her walking off, Ji smiled as he picked up his bags. He was about to leave the room when he bumped into Emily.

"We need to talk," she glared up at him, just like she had the morning he had been caught coming home from his first date. Ji gulped. Emily pointed to the couch, so Ji took a seat.

She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at her mentor, "So this is really happening, between you and Kate, huh?"

"We're taking things slow…"

"She's moving to the city to be with you," Emily shook her head, "That's not slow. I hope you know, Kate means a lot to my family, and to me. She's really, really nice, and really, really sweet, and it would be a real shame if she got played by… you…"

"Emily…"

"Break her heart; I'll break your face."

Emily normally wasn't very intimidating. She didn't look threatening in the slightest. At her best, she was sweet, innocent, and happy. At her worst, she was either innocently mischievous, or as fragile as a kicked puppy. But there was something about her this time that seemed very different. Ji wasn't sure if it was because he was sitting down, and for once she could stare him down, or if she was showing a side of herself that only James and Dekker had seen, which would explain why James was so terrified of her.

She was definitely her mother's daughter, and Serena's sister.

"I wouldn't dream of it," Ji's voice was just above a whisper. Emily smirked and gave his cheek a gentle pat.

"Good. Now I gave you my cookies to hold, and I never got them back," Emily held her hand out, "Please and thank you."

"In the fridge," Ji pointed to the kitchen and Emily skipped off happily.

Ji grabbed his bags and headed straight outside. Kate was by the trunk of her car, waiting for him to bring out his bags so they could load up and then head off, while the Rangers, slowly but surely, packed up James' van and claimed their seats for the ride home.

As Ji and Kate got into the car, Ji noticed Kate looked a little surprised, but also like she wanted to laugh.

"You've really got an interesting family, Ji."

"What did they do?" Ji groaned and looked out the window at his Samurai just in time to see Mike and Antonio shoving Kevin out of the van and closing the door on him.

"I just got a serious talk from Jayden about not leading you on. It was a little threatening, but really cute. He cares a lot about you."

"I just got one from Emily. There was nothing cute about it. I was terrified."

Kate laughed, leaned over, and gave him a kiss on the cheek, "Well, I know Jayden's got nothing to worry about. My intentions are pure. Slow and steady. We'll let the relationship grow into whatever it is we're most comfortable with."

"I like the sound of that," Ji smiled. He nodded his head towards the window and gestured to the Samurai, "Now, why don't we see if we can beat them home?"

Kate started the car and smirked, "I love a good race."


End file.
